Mechanism for danger-signals for railroads.



. R. E. MURPHY.

MEGHANISM FOR DANGER SIGNALS FOR RAILROADS APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16,1907.

Patented 01313.26, 1909.

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Patented 0013.26, 1909.

R.. E. MURPHY.

' MBGHANISM FOR DANGER SIGNALS FOR. RAILROADS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 161907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROY EMRY MURPHY, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO.

MECHANISM FOR DANGER-SIGNALS FOR RAILROADS.

Application filed September 16, 1907. Serial No. 393,253.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROY EMRY MURPHY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Colorado Springs, in the county of El Paso and State ofColorado, have invented a new and useful Mechanism for Danger-Signalsfor Railroads, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a danger signal for the purpose of notifying thepersons in charge of an approaching train that a railroad-switch, theyare approaching, is open or imperfectly closed. I attain this objectbymeans of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich- Figure l. is a top v-iew of the entire mechanism connected with asection of the rail road track, which track is broken away in threeplaces in the drawing to allow the principal parts of the drawing to bebrought to a condensed position; Fig. 3. is also a top view of torpedobox C, connected with ties IV, IV, and rails a and 2),' Fig. 2 is alongin tudinal sectional view of torpedo box C, dissected vertically andlooking at it from a position between the rails; Fig Ll. is a vertical,lateral sectional view of torpedo box C, dissected crosswise of therails, alarm tube f, and alarm post e; and Fig. 5. is a detailed View ofa part of the mechanism in torpedo box C, showing on a larger scale,magazine az', and the levers gz, and

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The rail tongue p, when pulled from rail ae, in opening the switch,causes the electrode bolt a, to connect electrodes o, 0, thus causing adirect connection through from battery (Z, via electrodes 0, o, wire m',rail a, wire ml, to torpedo box C, and wire p2', and rail b; wire m',connects battery (Z, with rail g, and the two rails 7) and g, areinsulated at tz', tz', so that when an engine comes onto the insulatedends of rails and g, it makes the circuit, and causes magnet 7a, is, toattract magnet bar 1, which being rigidly attached to pitman j, forcespitman y', under depression-raiLblock he', and over compression arm i,so that when the iiange of the car wheel depresses depression rail 7L,it forces compression arm z', down onto torpedo t, lying on anvil e,thus exploding torpedo 25, and the force of the explosion is thenconducted out through alarm tube f, as designated by the arrows, to aclose proximity to the engineer in cab of the engine.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

At the same time that compression arm c', is forced down it pulls downpit-man ez', and with it levers gz' and ft, the former raising releasearinz', and thus releasing one of the torpedoes t, at the top, andallowing it to tip forward from the force of piston spring ci, againstfeed piston o; and at the same time when lever y, is depressed it forcesescapement arm je', down so that it arrests the top of torpedo t, whenit is released from release arm cz', as the bottom of the torpedo t,rests against the two toe-rests ma', so that the torpedo t, istemporarily held in an inclining position till .it falls-forward on itsflat side when released by escapement arm being forced up by spring y,after the car wheel has passed over depression rail h. It is apparentthat if the rail tongue is resting against rail ac, and electrodes 0, 0,

'are not connected, the circuit will be open and pitman j, will remainout from between depression rail block M, and compression arm z', and sothat the depression of depression rail h, by the flange of a car wheelwould not disturb or move or connect with depression arm i, and so thetorpedoes would not be molested. When escapement arm jc', is releasedand rises after the explosion, it releases torpedo t, which fallsforward and slides down to a rest on top of anvil z, Aand remains thereuntil exploded.

Rails a, and are separated by an insulation o, so that after the frontwheel on the engine or car has passed over the torpedo box it connectsrails a, and g, thus making a short circuit between the torpedo box andthe switch, and leaving the torpedo box unaffected further till thewheels are all removed froni between the switch and the torpedo box. i

It is plain, that every car wheel that passes over the depression railL, will press it down by the flange of its wheel, butas neitherdepression rail nor its block hz', can touch compression arm z', thencompression arm e', *willl not be disturbed unless the pitmanvy', isforced between depression rail block he', and the compression arm z'.

Compression arm z', is provided at its swing end with an iron safetyflange iz', which comes up to contact with the under side of rail b, andprevents compression arm c', rising higher than a level position.

Magazine ai, is provided on the upper surface of its floor and near itsexit end, with two toe-rests mi, which keep the torpedo t,

from twisting and hold it back at the bottom so that it will fallforward, with the lat side downward.

The coil springs Z, Z, force the ends of depression rail Zt, up againstlugs LZ, LZ, and retain them there till they are depressed by the iangeof a car wheel. Depression rail ZL, is also provided with suitableguides attached to the side of torpedo box C. r1`orpedo box C, hassuitable fastenings by which it is attached to cross ties W, W, and isprovided with a depressed base or bottom, that hangs down between theties in the center of the torpedo box bottom. Truss X, which isconstructed of a heavy iron plate, is reinforced under the anvil e, byanother heavy iron plate, so as to sustain the shock of the explosion ofa torpedo Z. At the switch station there is also provided a suitablealarm (ZZ, which may be a bell or other appliance as desired.

The electrodes 0, 0, are insulated from rail ac, Fig. l. by means ofblocks of wood or other suitable non-conductor, and are protected fromexternal molestation by means of a suitable box or case t.

The insulation fv, between rails ct, and Fig. l. is to be close enoughto the torpedo box, to allow the iirst set of wheels on a car or engineto reach rail a, before a second set of wheels following the first setcan depress depression rail 71,. This will allow the current to becarried across on the front axle from rail a, at fv, to rail g, andshort circuit the current between the switch and the torpedo box C, andthus leave the pitman j, out from between depression rail block Zw', andcompression arm z'. 7When the switch is closed the connecting electrodebolt a, Fig. l, does not connect electrodes 0, 0, and so the circuit isthen open and remains so whether there is a conductor between rails Z),and g or between rails a, and g, or not; and so there is no explosion oftorpedoes in torpedo box C, under such circumstances, although the alarmbell (ZZ, would continue to ring while the switch was open and would actas an alarm to call the attention of any one, within hearing, to thefact that the switch was open and a train was approaching on rails a,and g. This mechanism may be successfully used without the presence ofalarm tube f, and its post support e, but I represent them both presentin this improvement.

The alarm cZZ, is a bell operated by means of a magnet, which may be ina depot or other place where a watchman or switch man is located, and isconnected with a circuit by the switch being open so as to connectelectrodes o, 0, and a, and alsoconnecting rails a, and g, by a trainpassing upon them.

The wire m', connects battery (Z, with rail g: Zw, is the lead wireconnecting rail a,

the circuit being completed by means ofmagnet bars cZ. mZ is the releasespringattached to the magnet bar eZ.

LZ, ZLZ, are lugs arresting depression rail h. I claim as my inventionand ask for Letters Patent forl. In a danger signal for railroads, the

horizontal compression arm z', hinged permanently at its rear end andits front end actuated upwardly by means of the spiral spring y, andbeing actuated downwardly by means of a horizontal pitman j, whichslides longi-r tudinally on the top of the compression arm c', beingpressed downwardly by being engaged by the under side of the depressionrail It, being pressed downwardly by the iiange of a carriage wheel of apassing train over the said depression rail Zt, pressing itV down, allsubstantially as set forth and for the purposes speciiied.

2. In a danger signal for railroad switches, a metal casing box c,containing the magazine az', for torpedoes, in combination with magnetcoils Ze, 7c, and magnet bar r, rigidly attached to pitman j, andloosely attached to compression arm z', substantially as set forth andfor the purposes speciiied.

3. In a danger signal for railroads, the torpedo magazine az',containing torpedoes actuated by feed piston bz', forced by pistonspring ce', which torpedoes are restrained and fed out from the exit ofsaid magazine ai, by escapement mechanism consisting of arm je', onlever and release arm ka', on lever ga', which levers are actuated bypitman cz', connecting them with compressor Z, in combination withmagnet coils Ze, 7c, and pitman j, actuated by battery (Z, on a circuit,connected by electrodes 0, 0, which are connected by the head of bolt a,by opening the switch rail y), and being shorted by the connection ofrails b, and g, by the wheels and axle of a locomotive engine or otherrolling stock, between the insulations Zz', Zz', and the torpedo box c,substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.

4. In a danger signal for railroads, the

torpedo magazine ai, in combination with compression arm z', and pitmany', provided to be actuated downwardly against torpedo by means ofdepression rail block iwi, and

depression rail It, being forced downwardly by inner flange of a wheelof a passingl train, and being provided to be actuated upwardly by meansof a spring fy, all substantially asl set forth and for the purposesspecified.

In danger signals for railroads, the electric alarm bell all, located inthe depot or station of the railroad, and connected to the battery icl,and to the magnet fl, by means of lead wires nl and pl, which said leadwires are connected directly to the cores of the magnet fb, which coresare connected by other wires and connections indirectly to rail g andrail a, as shown in Fig. 1, which rail g, may be connected to rail b, bythe wheels and axle of a passing engine, which rail b, is connected bywire pz', with magnet coils 7J, le, which are connected by wires iwf,with rail a, and which rail zz, is connected by wire zzz', andelectrodes 0, 0, and electrode bolt zzz, and the two lead wires zz',with one of the magnet coils fb, in combination with rail tongue y),substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.

G. In a danger signal for railroads, a cylindrical magazine case or tubehaving the cap dz', and carrying the piston bz', provided with a pistonrod attached thereto and projecting through the center of the said capdz', and said cylindrical case descending diagonally downward at itsmouthor open end, and having at its inner upper' surface on its floor orbottom two toe rests mi, mz', suitable to engage the lower edge of adescending torpedo in said magazine and arrest its further progress, andsaid piston bz', being actuated against said torpedo by means of thespring cz', all substantially as set forth and for the purposesspecified.

7. In a danger signal for railroads, the combination with a suitablecylindrical magazine case az', containing torpedoes t, t, flat on theirfront side or face and circular in shape and actuated by pressure frombehind and by gravitation, of an escapement mechanism comprising twohorizontal levers actuated at their common end by a common pitmanworking vertically and to which they are permanently hinged, said pitmanbeing actuated by the compression arm z', which in turn is actuated bymechanism connecting it with the wheels of a passing train, and thelower one, fz', of said horizontal levers having its fulcrum at its endfarthest from said pitman and there permanently hinged to the top ofsaid magazine case az', and having rigidly and adjustably attached nearits center an escapement arm jz', projecting downwardly and into theupper part of said magazine az', far enough for its lower end to engagethe face or front flat side of the said flat torpedoes t, t, and beingactuated downwardly when the said pitman ez, is actuated downwardly, andthe upper lever gz', having its fulcrum near its longitudinal center andbeing permanently hinged thereto, and having rigidly and adjustablyattached to its end opposite the said pitman ez', a release arm bz',projecting downwardly into the upper part of the cavity of said magazinecase az', and far enough to engage the upper front face of saidtorpedoes t, t, and being back of the escapement arm y'z', about thedistance of the thickness of one torpedo t, and said release arm czl,being actuated upwardly when said pitman ez', and said escapement armjz', are actuated down wardly, and downwardly when they are actuatedupwardly, substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.

S. In a danger signal for railroads, a metal tubular magazine case az,having the piston bz', actuated by spiral spring cz', in combinationwith an escapement comprising the levers and gz', actuated by the commonpitman ez', and carrying escapement arm jz',

and release arm cz', respectively, for the puri poses specified andsubstantially as set forth.

9. In a danger signal for railroads, a torpedo box C, comprising a casecontaining magnets K, K, actuated by the battery d, connected byconducting wires, conducting rails and conducting car wheels and axlesas described, and said magnets K, K, actuating the magnet bar z', andpitman y', spring s, withdrawing bar z', and pitman y', compression barz', hinged at one end at m, and having at its other end a projecting lugz'z', extending under the railroad rail, and actuated upwardly by thespiral spring y, and downwardly by depression rail z, the tubularmagazine az', having an escapement mechanism composed of the two leversji, and gz', carrying adjustable thereon arms jz', and czl, to retardand release the torpedoes and a compression piston to expel thetorpedoes, a truss plate oz, beneath the compression arm z', all incombination with a detonation tube f, the generating battery (Z, theelectric alarm cZZ, a railroad, a railroad switch and a passing train,all substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.

ROY EMRY MURPHY.

'Witnessesz F. D. CATLIN, CHARLES L. BLAKE.

